Performers

Shakespeare has long been a prolific quarry for the writers of opera librettos and Romeo and Juliet is no exception. There are about two dozen written on the great love story, the most famous being Bellini and Gounod’s interpretations. There is some controversy over Bellini’s source material – his Capuleti e Montecchi certainly differs greatly in the narrative from the Bard’s. The Italians at the time argued that Shakespeare visited their country for inspiration first, and Bellini was working from the ‘original tale’ before Shakespeare immortalised it.

Focusing on Bellini and Gounod’s operas we will examine what makes this story so popular for musical interpretation and examine how it’s themes of passion, jealousy and rivalry are interpreted. We’ll also dig deeper into the true genesis of the lovers’ story, and how Bellini’s departure from Shakespeare’s telling had a detrimental effect on the operas popularity.

Following Ricardo's previous lecture on 'Trouble at the Opera' which looked at censorship on the development of opera up to the 19th century, this morning we will travel to Germany, Russia, Italy and...

Paola Cuffolo and Anna Harvey introduce the history of staging sacred oratorio, from its beginnings in 17th-century Venice to the recent trend for staged Handel oratorios, Bach Passions and Messiahs,...

This lecture will explore how Verdi adapted Shakespeare's tale of ruthless ambition to one of the greatest operas of all time. We'll see how despite being an early opera in the composer's career, it...

Since Alfred Deller shocked and delighted audiences, countertenors have grown hugely in popularity, and are now in increasing demand in opera houses across the world. The resurgence of Baroque opera,...